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Coalition Troops Kill 4 Terrorists; Iraqis Detain 21 in Recent Raids

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 31, 2006  Coalition forces killed four terrorists and detained six others, while Iraqi army soldiers detained 21 suspects as the result of a series of operations conducted in Iraq yesterday.

Coalition forces killed four terrorists and detained six other suspected terrorists during a morning raid in Thar Thar. Intelligence reports indicated known al Qaeda in Iraq terrorists with links to foreign fighters were operating at the targeted building. As coalition troops approached the building, armed terrorists appeared to maneuver against them in a threatening manner. A firefight left three terrorists dead and another injured. One armed terrorist attempted to fire at the coalition troops and was killed inside the structure.

Inside the building, coalition forces discovered a weapons cache consisting of multiple grenades, machine guns and pistols, which was destroyed on site to prevent future use by terrorists. This operation was part of ongoing efforts to eliminate al Qaeda terrorists and disrupt their operations in the Thar Thar area.

Elsewhere yesterday, 1st Iraqi Army Division forces with coalition advisors detained 15 suspected insurgents during operations near Habbaniyah. The target was an insurgent network responsible for improvised-explosive-device and small-arms attacks against Iraqi civilians and security forces. The insurgents are tied to al Qaeda in Iraq and are suspected of involvement in small-arms and IED attacks against convoys in the Habbaniyah and Fallujah areas.

In another operation, 1st Iraqi Army Division forces with coalition advisors detained five suspects during operations in Fallujah yesterday. The Iraqi forces were looking for a suspected insurgent allegedly linked to improvised-explosive-device attacks against Iraqi civilians and security forces. The insurgent also is believed to have been selling IEDs to other insurgents and al Qaeda in Iraq as well as smuggling foreign fighters into the country to facilitate attacks in the Fallujah area.